I'm just back from a wee trip over to England exploring as many quaint, unspoiled villages as I could squeeze into my trip. One of the tiniest and quaintest had to be Burton-on-the-Water's model village--and unlike the real Bourton-on-the-Water most of the streets were empty in the model village! I really love model villages, although they are so few and far between I have only ever visited a few. As an aspirational dream I don't really have plans on working towards: I would love to make a model village. I think my own current village would be the perfect subject too. If I had the space, time, money, and talent for such an undertaking I'd love to recreate our picturesque main street, twin gatehouses, and apple orchards in miniature. Until that day, I am going to continue visiting model villages where I can find them. I specifically asked Thomas if we could squeeze a visit to Bourton-on-the-Water into this trip just for the sake of these wee houses. The model village ended up being the highlight of Bourton's visit since it was so sweet and relatively quiet and the real town was far from quiet. Be warned if you do plan on visiting Bourton that it is wildly popular and unlike other fairytale villages in England it's also accessible by coaches, so crowds abound! Still if you don't mind rubbing elbows with your fellow tourists, it's a very charming town with a number of shops and museums to browse. It's perfectly suited for families with all the activities and shops around, so I can see the appeal although on our trip around the Cotswolds I did prefer the equally scenic and a bit more peaceful wanderings.
CONVERSATION